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About PSLE English Tuition Singapore
While most children in Singapore are comfortable in English and speak it well, many still struggle at the PSLE English paper. BrightMinds Education provides an Award Winning PSLE Course and is a MOE Registered Tuition Centre. We provide both PSLE English Tuition and PSLE Math Tuition to students. It’s been our years of experience that students are quick to learn PSLE Math Heuristic Concepts. So much so that we can only marvel at how some of our students solve some of the most complex PSLE Math Questions with ease. Furthermore, students are equally adept at solving PSLE Science Questions. It’s like they have a natural affinity for math and science. However, when it comes to English, our students lag behind as there are endless vocabulary words, grammar tenses and so on. That is why at our PSLE Tuition Singapore, we spend a lot of time on improving their English. Here’s what happens at a typical PSLE Camp at BrightMinds. There are five main areas we focus on during the PSLE Tuition as far as the English paper is concerned.
2. Oral Tips and Techniques – Singaporean students are very good at written English, but not so adept at verbal tests. That is why, we teach them simple oral techniques, so that they are able to hold their own in a conversation confidently. 3. Synthesis and Cloze Passages – We have a singular focus on improving the child’s grammar and vocabulary during the PSLE English Tuition. In particular, the kids are given several tips on cloze passages and synthesis. They will also practise many cloze passages and synthesis. 4. Comprehension – Generally, we find that most students lack the ability to interpret and infer the information they receive in the form of text. That is why our tutors spend a lot of time on improving their comprehension skills, deduction and inference skills. By the end of our PSLE English Tuition Singapore, your child will be able to go through passages in the English paper quickly, infer and answer the questions asked accurately. 5. Time Management – Time management is crucial in the English examination. It’s so easy for children to get stuck when answering some of the more complex questions, hence this is why we teach them to set time limits. They learn how to apportion time for each section in the English paper, how much time to allocate for editing and checking, and so on. For Parents The revision courses at BrightMinds are conducted by highly skills and experienced MOE registered full-time tutors who know how to get the best out of children. Call 6363-3876 or SMS 9147-4941 to register your child for the 2019 PSLE Revision Course. Click here for the details on the scheduling and fees. PSLE Tuition Singapore – Why It Matters?
BrightMinds Education is an Award Winning PSLE Course designed for smart, curious and intelligent children. Our PSLE Revision Course is hugely popular with parents and children alike. As a parent, you know how hard PSLE is – you’ve probably been through it yourself. PSLE is the toughest national exam for a child who is barely 11 or 12 years of age. You also know that almost every child in Singapore goes for PSLE Tuition - PSLE English Tuition and PSLE Math Tuition. Moreover, we have many kids at our MOE Registered Tuition Centre. However, your role does not stop after sending your child to a PSLE Camp or PSLE Tuition. At BrightMinds, we can help your child with PSLE Math Questions and learn essential concepts such as PSLE Math Heuristic Concepts better. But there is a lot that we, or for that matter, any PSLE English Tuition Singapore cannot do; which can be done by only a parent. Why is that? It’s about teaching your child to focus better. As experienced teachers with more than 9 years in service, we can tell you that every child is smart in his/her own way. But kids who focus better, are more hard working and disciplined, usually perform better at any exam or academic activity. Nonetheless, is there anything you can do as a parent to help your child focus better during PSLE? Yes. Here are some tips you may find useful. How to Help Your Child Focus Better and Excel at PSLE #1: Move that body! The problem with parents in Singapore is that they are so determined to get their children to do really well at studies that they forget that sports or play is equally important. Children must get lots of physical exercise. Encourage weekly activities such as cycling, football, basketball, running and more. It has been scientifically proven a child focuses on his or her studies after exercising. One hour of sports and two hours of studies, is any day better than 4 hours of study and no play at all. #2: Limit or remove your child’s smartphone, no more social media. The biggest distraction and productivity killers for children and adults alike are smartphones and the social media. So what can you do about it? Well, limit or just take the smartphone away from your child. Yes, they may throw tantrums at this, but don’t give in. Remember, it is for their own good. Also, limit their video game playing hours and time spent before the television. #3: Make a daily to-do list. Every morning after you wake up, make a to-do list of tasks for your child, and then wake them up. This will help them focus on the task on hand and stay in the present. Once they complete a particular task or topic, ask them to cross that out. That is how you make learning fun for your child; you make them take pride in every little achievement. #4: Take a break. It is hard for a child of 11 or 12 to focus on their lesson for more than 30 minutes at a time. Make sure they get a five minute break every 30 minutes, and then get back to the PSLE revision. Feel free to contact our highly experienced MOE registered full-time tutors for more tips and advice. Please call 6363-3876 or SMS 9147-4941 to register for the 2019 PSLE Revision Course at BrightMinds Education. About PSLE Math Tuition
At BrightMinds, we are very proud of the fact that students in Singapore are much better at Math than students in the United States, Australia, the UK and elsewhere in the world. Our kids are ferociously smart, hard working and focused. They have to be. Otherwise, they cannot survive in our highly competitive academic environment in Singapore. But Math is hard, there’s no question about it. Which is why, at BrightMinds, an Award Winning PSLE Course and an MOE Registered Tuition Centre, we spend far more time on the PSLE Math Tuition than on our PSLE English Tuition or PSLE Science Tuition. Let’s quickly discuss how we help your child improve their Math skills during our PSLE Camp. #1: Identify weaknesses. The first thing we do at our PSLE Tuition Singapore is to get a sense of where each child lags behind. We give them simple Math problems to solve. We watch them closely as they solve the problems. We want to see their approach to problem solving, and their thinking process. Also, we will want to know at this stage about how strong your child is at basic Math concepts. So, if we find out, for example, that your child lags behind in algebra, that will be our #1 focus. #2: Thorough understanding of key math concepts. It is very important that a child should be well versed in basic Math concepts; which is why we give a lot of attention to PSLE Math Heuristic Concepts. Once your child is thorough with them, he or she can move on to solving more complex math problems. #3: Focus on high value topics. At our PSLE Tuition, we use the term “high value” to refer to topics from which majority of questions come from during every examination. So, for the PSLE Math paper, we know from years of experience and analysing previous year question papers that at least 50 percent of the questions will come from these topics:
#4: Weed out the “silly” mistakes. As a parent, you probably tear your hair often at some of the silly mistakes that your child makes. There is no such thing as a “silly” mistake. It is a sign of carelessness on part of the child. When the child makes such mistakes all too often, that indicates a lack of focus and concentration. Do read this blog post on how to help your child improve her focus and concentration when preparing for PSLE. Beyond that, we categorize mistakes as technical, conceptual and procedural.
The importance of time management cannot be stressed enough, especially when tackling the PSLE Math paper. The only way to learn proper time management is through practice and solving as many Math questions as possible at a given time limit. In fact, if you were to go through our PSLE Revision Course, you will notice many different type of PSLE Math Questions.The idea is to get the child lose the fear of Math and be comfortable with solving Math problems. For Parents To register your child for the 2019 PSLE Revision Course please call 6363-3876 or SMS 9147-4941. The revision courses at BrightMinds are handled by MOE registered full-time tutors who have more than 9 years of teaching experience and are especially good at working with children. Click here for the details on the scheduling and fees.  The waiting is over and those much-anticipated exam results are finally on their way. But for your child, this is just the beginning of the next stage of their lives. For most students, this is an emotionally charged time. In our modern society, many students nowadays define themselves by their academic achievement, using grades as a marker of self-esteem. Therefore, it is hardly surprising some students are greatly affected when they do worse than they had hoped. So how can you, as a parent, best support them through the process, particularly if your child did not get the grades they wanted? As such, here are some tips on how you can support your child on exam results day: 1) Talk it out First, try to talk to your child to know what is bothering him deep down. Is it the failure or the fear of letting you down? Don’t shy away from the disappointment your child is feeling. Encourage him/her to talk about it to you. If talking doesn’t help and your child refuses to talk to you or other family members for days, you may need to seek for professional help like counselling. 2) Plan what to do next Help your child learn from mistakes. Getting low grades or even repeating a year may seem like a huge social burden and embarrassment for your child. This may be the time to plan a study timetable with your child and you may also look for a good tutorial class or tutor to cope with your child’s academic challenges. While planning the next step with your child, do remember not to create unnecessary stress on your child as it is a vulnerable period for him/her. 3) Prepare for the future Constantly assure your child that you will support him/her no matter the results or situation. Instill confidence in your child and explain to him/her that success and failure is part and parcel of life. For children whose dreams are dashed on results day, support from their parents or someone whom they trust is crucial, not just on the day but over a period of time. Keep talking about the many possible future paths available and explain, preferably with real examples, that many successful people have taken alternative routes to reach their ultimate goals. Most importantly, praise your child on how hard he/she has studied for the exams. Emphasise on the hard work and effort that they have put in for the past few months or even years. These are the qualities that will take your child far in life, not just their academic results. Is your child taking his/her PSLE exams this year? If so, feel free to visit www.PSLErevision.com to find out more about our PSLE Intensive Revision Courses today. Alternatively, you may call us 6457-0881 to find out more about our weekly K1-S4 English, Math, Science and Chinese tutorial classes.  Hey kid!
So you’re ready for your PSLE Tuition? Yes, we know your Mom and Dad are stressed out about it. Remember, you don’t have to be nervous like them. You’re a smart kid and you’re going to ace your exam, no question about it. Just follow our PSLE Study Tips given here. Before you get started, a quick word about us... (Show this to your parents, will you?). We are BrightMinds Education an MOE Registered Tuition Centre, that provides an Award Winning PSLE Course. We have highly experienced and friendly tutors like Mr. Prem and Ms. Marie who understand kids, thus making learning fun for you. Yes, you will enjoy your PSLE English Tuition, PSLE Math Tuition and PSLE Science Tuition with us. You will love solving our PSLE Math Questions and we have no doubt you’re going to ace our PSLE Revision Course. You will learn amazing new information such as PSLE Math Heuristic Concept and much more. And yes, you’re going make new friends at the PSLE Camp! We have about ten to twelve students in a class, this is so that we can give each student our 100% attention. So, shall we begin our PSLE Tuition? 7 Highly Effective PSLE Study Tips for Smart Kids #1: Master the basic concepts first. At BrightMinds, we start with the most basic concepts and then gradually, we move on to more difficult topics. By the end of the PSLE Tuition, you will be well versed in the PSLE Math, English and Science and ready to go! #2: Focus on what is really important. The PSLE syllabus is quite large,as such you may not have the time to learn every single topic thoroughly. Instead, it’s better that you focus on topics that are really important, from which most of the questions come from. Don’t worry, we will focus on only the most relevant topics in our award-winning PSLE Revision Course. #3: Practice exam papers. We will practise with you past PSLE question papers and our own in-house questions. The more you practice, the better and faster you will get. If you’re stuck anywhere, feel free to ask your tutors. We are always there for you. #4: Make notes at the side of the page. So, when you are at your PSLE English Tuition Singapore, highlight all the important points and annotate at the side of the page. This will help you understand the phrase or sentence better. If there’s a difficult word that you haven’t come across before, refer to the dictionary and write the meaning on the side of the page as well. #5: Maintain a study journal. Write down whatever you’ve learned during the day, the topics you’ve covered and the question papers that you’ve solved. This will tell you how productive your day was, whether it was a good day or a bad one. If it was a good day, then tell your Mom and Dad about it and maybe they will take you out for a dessert! #6: Understand, don’t memorise. Never learn anything by rote. Understand the topics. Memorising won’t help you much. Actually, memorizing without understanding makes it harder! Well, that’s it – good luck for your PSLE! You can do it! For Parents To register your child for the 2019 PSLE Revision Course please call 6363-3876 or SMS 9147-4941. The revision courses at BrightMinds are conducted by MOE registered full-time tutors with more than 10 years of teaching experience. Click here for the details on the scheduling and fees.  As the examination period approaches, your child may feel start to feel nervous and anxious. Not surprisingly, it is actually normal to feel anxious before the exams. In fact, some people find that a bit of pressure enables them to study better as it acts as a motivation to carry out their revision with a determined approach and goal in mind. As Roger Mead, Stress Management Consultant and General Secretary of the International Stress Management Association states: "Stress is not about the exam, but about what you think about the exam. People shouldn't see them as monsters they can't escape. With the right preparation they're not too scary." If your child is feeling overwhelmed or is panicking before the exams, here are 4 tips that you may use to overcome his/her exam stress: 1) Revision When your child is revising, encourage him to make notes or to at least highlight the important key points and revise those highlighted key points several times. It is also useful for your child to make a short list of the main points after revising each topic/chapter, and he can revise those main points on the day before the exam. This will greatly reduce the amount of information that your child needs to revise before the exams, hence reducing some of his exam stress. As a parent, it is important to constantly encourage and praise your child when he is working hard. Make your child feel that you are there for him physically and emotionally, and make your child’s study environment revision-friendly. You should not force your expectations on your child just before the exams as this will put unnecessary pressure on him. 2) Avoid Cramming or Last Minute Revision A few days before the exams, your child should set a revision timetable so that he is able to revise all the topics he needs to before the exams. Make sure your child sets realistic targets as cramming too much information just before the exams creates stress and actually hinders proper learning. Other than making sure your child stays on track with his revision timetable, you can help to organise his bag and check his stationery before each exam. Organising these little things will help to cut down on his exam stress. 3) Eat Healthily It is important for children to avoid processed food, fast food and sugary snacks as much as possible. Try eating foods high in omega 3 as it is great brain food. Sometimes, exam stress will cause some children to lose their appetites. If this happens to your child, you can prepare light meals or simple sandwiches. Eating well will help your child to focus and do his best during the exams. 4) Enough Sleep and Rest It is advisable for children to have 8 hours of sleep every day, so that they are able to concentrate better the next day. Your child should avoid last minute revision on the night before the exams as this will make him more anxious and even panic, hence affecting his exam performance during the next day. Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest as the brain will function better if it is well-rested. Last but not least, make sure that your child sets his alarm clock for the next day! Waking up late on the day of the exam will make your child feel anxious and alarmed, and that is not a good way to start the day of the exams. As parents, we should not be causing exam anxiety; rather we want our children to be as well-prepared as possible. During the days or even hours leading up to the exams, you may encourage your child about doing his/her best. You know your child better than anyone. Emphasize the importance of the exams, but remember to build confidence, not anxiety. Is your child taking his/her PSLE exams this year? If so, feel free to call us @ 6457-0881 or email us @ brightmindscentre@gmail.com to find out more about our PSLE Intensive Revision Courses today. Alternatively, you may call or email us to find out more about our weekly K1-S4 English, Maths, Science and Chinese tutorial classes.   Are you tired of nagging, threatening, or bribing your child to study before the examinations? If so, this study article is just for you. We have listed down 3 ways which will help your child to stay focused and motivated before the school examinations! 1) Be Positive and Provide Positive Feedback It is important to replace external and monetary rewards with positive encouraging verbal responses. Do not get into the habit of rewarding your child for good grades. That is merely a short term gain and does not encourage your child to study in the long run. Moreover, there is plenty of scientific research to show that reward systems are ineffective in the long run. When you stop rewarding your child with monetary rewards (ie: toys, gadgets, candies etc), your child will lose the extrinsic motivation to study and may even not want to study anymore. As such, the motivation to study should always be intrinsic. Give positive verbal feedback that focus on the behavior which you want to promote or encourage. Some positive comments include: "You have followed your revision timetable closely and have completed your revision for today. I’m proud of you for being such a diligent and responsible child.” "Your handwriting is neat and tidy. All your letters are right between the lines and they’re big enough for your teacher to read. I’m happy that you have put in effort to write well.” “It’s great that you have completed your homework all by yourself! I know some questions were not easy to solve, but I noticed that you tried your best to solve them. You are a hardworking and determined child. Most importantly, you stayed focused and did not give up.” Therefore, it is important to get into the habit of encouraging your child with kind positive words. 2) Establish A Study Routine Your child needs to plan a study timetable and once the study timetable has been set, stick to it. It may take a few days, or even weeks, for your child to get used to it and your child may even protest, but as a parent, you will need to be firm and encourage your child to stick to it. A study schedule is useless if it is not carried out; a study routine is crucial. In order for your child to excel well in his/her studies, a regular study or revision routine is necessary. As the saying goes, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” (Our article on how to plan an effective study schedule can be viewed here.) 3) Provide A Study Environment If your house lacks a study area, you have to plan on what you can do to make your house study-friendly. You must create a study space that is away from the noise of other family members such as younger siblings, and the television. You can also set a rule that everyone have to do their homework or revision at the same time to minimize the noise level of your house. If you or a family member engages in fun or noisy activities during study time, your child will be distracted and it is unfair for your child to study in an environment that is not quiet or conducive at all. Use your child’s study time to do some quiet household chores, such as folding the laundry, sweeping or mopping of floors etc. You may even do some of your office work during your child’s study time too. As a parent, you can’t study for your child, but you can assist him/her in doing so. For example, you can give a five minute warning that the revision time is approaching, thus easing your child into his/her revision, instead of abruptly ending your child’s current activity. You can then help to clear the study table, place your child’s assessment books and stationery onto the table neatly, and even offer some drinks or snacks for him/her. We hope that these 3 tips will help your child to stay motivated, focused and well-prepared for the upcoming school examinations. Most importantly, parents need to be encouraging and not critical. Create a "can do" study attitude and your child will be motivated to study! Is your child taking his/her PSLE exams this year? If so, feel free to call us @ 6457-0881 or email us @ brightmindscentre@gmail.com to find out more about our PSLE Intensive Revision Courses today. Alternatively, you may call or email us to find out more about our weekly K1-S4 English, Maths, Science and Chinese tutorial classes.    Forgetting is easy, remembering is hard. However, here are 5 simple tips that you can use to help you improve your memory, especially when you’re studying!
1) Understand the concept Students often struggle memorising information because it is unclear or confusing to them. It is difficult to remember something if you do not fully understand it in the first place. In order to remember new information presented to you, try to re-write the information that you are learning into your own words. (Our article on how you can write effective study notes can be viewed here). However if you are unable to write your own notes, it is a good sign that you do not fully understand the concept that you're learning. 2) Revise frequently As we all know, it is advisable not to study the night before an exam or cram before a major exam. It is difficult to retain information if you study at the last minute. The key to memorise information effectively is to frequently review your notes and study materials weeks or days before the exams. If possible, jot down or highlight important information that will probably show up in an exam. You should adapt this study strategy after revising for an important topic. Through repetitive daily revision, you will eventually begin to remember and memorise information easily. 3) Mnemonic devices Many students use mnemonic devices to remember content which are difficult to memorise. Such useful mnemonic types include a) music mnemonic: songs and jingles (A common example is how children remember the alphabet by singing the ABC's.) b) Name mnemonics: The first letter of each word is combined into a new word. For example: ROY G BIV are colors of the rainbow. c) Expression or word mnemonics: The first letter of each word is combined to form a phrase or sentence. d) Picture mnemonics: The information is constructed into a picture. It's easier to remember a picture rather than details from a book. This strategy is especially useful when studying abstract or confusing subjects. To do this, create images in your mind that you can relate to, or have similarities to, the abstract concept. When abstract concepts can be “seen” they are much easier to remember. 4) Active Studying In order to remember or learn a concept, you must practise active studying. Some examples include reading your notes or textbook out loud. Another way is to teach your friend and help to answer any questions that he/she may have. Therefore, if you have something important to remember, repeat it to yourself as often as possible and if you can, talk about it to your friends or family. 5) Balanced Diet Last but not least, a balanced diet is crucial for a good memory. If you eat too much, you will feel tired and drowsy to study. If you eat too little, you will feel hungry and fatigued. Therefore, both of these scenarios are obstacles standing in your way towards a better memory. Eat in moderation and you will study better! By implementing these 5 study strategies into your revision, you will increase your ability to retain and memorise important information before the PSLE. Feel free to leave a comment if you have other suggestions or methods to improve one's memory! Is your child taking his/her PSLE exams this year? If so, feel free to call us @ 6457-0881 or email us @ brightmindscentre@gmail.com to find out more about our PSLE Intensive Revision Courses (English, Maths and Science) today. Alternatively, you may call or email us to find out more about our weekly K1-S4 tutorial classes.  (written by Mr Prem, tutor of BrightMinds Learning Centre) As quoted by Benjamin Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This applies to all aspects of our life, including our studies. To avoid getting lost in the midst of your revision in the coming months before the PSLE, you should start to create your own study schedule now. Here are 3 steps to create an effective study plan: 1) Prioritize Your Subjects and Topics: Do not assign the same period of time for each subject and topic. You will need to prioritize which subjects and topics are more important and challenging to you, and dedicate more time to that than others. It is crucial to spend more time on subjects and topics that you need extra practice or help in. For example, if Science is your weakest subject, you will need to set aside more time to revise your Science topics. And if your weakest Science topic is “Adaptation of Animals”, then you will need to dedicate more time towards that topic than the others. 2) Organize Your Time Wisely: After you have determined the number of hours you will need to set aside to study for each subject and topics, choose the best time to study. For example, you may choose to start studying after an hour of lunch break. Or, some pupils may choose to start studying after a short nap as they will feel more refreshed. Once you have decided what works best for you, stick with it. 3) De-stressing and Family Time You may schedule breaks for relaxation in between your revision schedule. These relaxation breaks are useful as it is a form of de-stressing and thus, helps you to focus better during your revision. These relaxation breaks should not be more than 30 minutes, and are not to be scheduled too often. For example, you may set aside 15 minutes of snack break after studying for more than an hour. Other forms of relaxation include reading a storybook or newspaper, a quick jog, baths, or even a short trip to your nearest minimart! Family vacations should be kept to a minimum during the PSLE year and should only last for a few days. As long as you have a well-planned revision schedule and follow it closely, you should not feel guilty about spending time with your family. For many primary schools, the involvement of CCAs for Primary 6 pupils is significantly reduced. This allows more time for learning and revision. Therefore, your study timetable should help you to accomplish the following: - complete revision for all P6 topics by end of July, - set aside more time to attempt mock exam papers in August and September. When you have finished creating your study timetable, paste it on the wall in front of your study table so that you can see it and follow it. By planning your study timetable now, it will help you to stay more focused and therefore, you will be more prepared for the PSLE. Is your child taking his/her PSLE exams this year? If so, feel free to call us @ 6457-0881 or email us @ brightmindscentre@gmail.com to find out more about our PSLE Intensive Revision Courses (English, Maths and Science) today. Alternatively, you may call or email us to find out more about our weekly K1-S4 tutorial classes.  |
AuthorWelcome to BrightMinds Learning Centre! All articles are written by our own team of tutors who have taught for many years. Please call 63633876 if you'd like to find out more about our K1 to S4 tutorial classes. Archives
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